Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 07/27/04

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Chief Deputy Larry Scoufos Deputy District Attorney: Robert LaForge

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

GANG MEMBER PLEADS TO ATTEMPTED MURDER AND
THREATENING A POLICE OFFICER

On July 26, 2004 Andrew Allen Valencia entered a plea of no contest to attempted murder in a gang related shooting which occurred April 27, 2002. He admitted that he used a firearm in that shooting, which will increase his sentence by twenty years. Valencia also pled no contest to threatening a police officer and promoting a criminal street gang from an incident on December 3, 2002. He will be sentenced to 30 years 4 months on both cases as a result of plea agreement on September 29, 2004 by Judge Raima Ballinger. "The proposed resolution and lengthy sentence will send a strong message that our community will not tolerate gang violence," said District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua.

In the April 27, 2002 crime Valencia fired a shotgun during a party, seriously wounding Ramiro Macias. Macias was treated at the hospital and survived his injuries. At the time of the shooting Valencia was also wanted for a CYA parole violation. Valencia was a passenger in a car stopped by a sheriffs deputy on December 3, 2002. During the car stop Valencia ran from the deputy while threatening him, shouting that he had a gun. As a result of his threatening conduct, Valencia was shot five times. Valencia was taken immediately to a hospital for treatment of his wounds, and the police subsequently found a loaded handgun in the vehicle.

Deputy District Attorney Robert LaForge was the trial prosecutor assigned to the case. Detective George Collord of the Santa Rosa Police Department, District Attorney Investigator's John Kilass, Gary Giovannoni and District Attorney Legal Assistant Dava Kohlman assisted in the prosecution.